At least 16 files from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) online repository of Epstein files have mysteriously disappeared just a day after they were posted under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Among the missing material was a photograph showing former President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The files were made public on December 19 as part of a congressional mandate that the DOJ release tens of thousands of documents related to Epstein’s case by that date.
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Which files disappeared?
The disappeared files included a set of images and documents that had been briefly accessible on the DOJ webpage before they were removed without explanation.
House Oversight Democrats highlighted on X that the DOJ’s list of released files jumped from EFTA00000467 to EFTA00000469, strongly indicating that EFTA00000468, the file containing the Trump photo, was removed from the public index after initial publication.
They wrote, “This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump, has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release. @AGPamBondi, is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public.”
{{/usCountry}}They wrote, “This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump, has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release. @AGPamBondi, is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public.”
{{/usCountry}}Among the pictures with Trump and Melania, the 16 missing files also included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers in which the Trump-Melania picture was found.
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The initially released files contained heavy redactions and omitted key categories of documents, including
- FBI interviews with Epstein survivors and victims’ accounts.
- Internal DOJ memos examining charging decisions
- Complete records involving powerful figures historically associated with Epstein
After the release, democrats like AOC took to X, calling for Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel's resignation.